Skip to main content
PMC home page
The Journal of Experimental Medicine logoLink to The Journal of Experimental Medicine
. 1976 Feb 1;143(2):348–359. doi: 10.1084/jem.143.2.348

Detection of alloantigens during preimplantation development and early trophoblast differentiation in the mouse by immunoperoxidase labeling

PMCID: PMC2190125  PMID: 55451

Abstract

An immunoperoxidase-labeling technique allowing visualization of antibody binding to the cell surface at the electron microscopical level has been employed an an analysis of H-2 and non-H-2 alloantigen expression on the early mouse embryo. The presence of non-H-2 antigenic determinants has been confirmed on eight-cell, morula, and blastocyst stages of development. Contrary to previous reports, however, low levels of H-2 antigen have also been detected on the blastocyst. This is the earliest stage at which H-2 has been shown to be expressed on the fertilized mouse egg and may reflect the greater resolution of the immunoperoxidase technique. Using two different models to study the critical peri-implantation stages, those of experimentally induced blastocyst activation and blastocyst outgrowth in vitro, it has been demonstrated that antigen loss occurs on the trophectoderm at the time of implantation, and that this is not necessarily dependent upon maternal influence. It is suggested that the loss may be an important factor in the prevention of maternal immune rejection during the establishment of the fetal allograft. The two major components of the early postimplantation conceptus display a striking differential in antigenic status. The embryonic sac shows a high degree of peroxidase labeling, while the ectoplacental cone trophoblast is unlabeled. These findings add support to the concept of antigenic neutrality of the early trophoblast and its role in the maintenance of a normal fetomaternal immunological equilibrium.

Full Text

The Full Text of this article is available as a PDF (1.9 MB).

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Avrameas S. Coupling of enzymes to proteins with glutaraldehyde. Use of the conjugates for the detection of antigens and antibodies. Immunochemistry. 1969 Jan;6(1):43–52. doi: 10.1016/0019-2791(69)90177-3. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Barlow P. W., Sherman M. I. The biochemistry of differentiation of mouse trophoblast: studies on polyploidy. J Embryol Exp Morphol. 1972 Apr;27(2):447–465. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Beer A. E., Billingham R. E. Immunobiology of mammalian reproduction. Adv Immunol. 1971;14:1–84. doi: 10.1016/s0065-2776(08)60283-7. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Bergström S., Nilsson O. Embryo-endometrial relationship in the mouse during activation of the blastocyst by oestradiol. J Reprod Fertil. 1975 Jul;44(1):117–120. doi: 10.1530/jrf.0.0440117. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Gooding L. R., Edidin M. Cell surface antigens of a mouse testicular teratoma. Identification of an antigen physically associated with H-2 antigens on tumor cells. J Exp Med. 1974 Jul 1;140(1):61–78. doi: 10.1084/jem.140.1.61. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Graham R. C., Jr, Karnovsky M. J. The early stages of absorption of injected horseradish peroxidase in the proximal tubules of mouse kidney: ultrastructural cytochemistry by a new technique. J Histochem Cytochem. 1966 Apr;14(4):291–302. doi: 10.1177/14.4.291. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Gwatkin R. B. Defined media and development of mammalian eggs in vitro. Ann N Y Acad Sci. 1966 Oct 7;139(1):79–90. doi: 10.1111/j.1749-6632.1966.tb41186.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Hetherington C. M., Humber D. P. The effects of active immunization of the decidual cell reaction and ectopic blastocyst development in mice. J Reprod Fertil. 1975 May;43(2):333–336. doi: 10.1530/jrf.0.0430333. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Heyner S., Brinster R. L., Palm J. Effect of iso-antibody on pre-implantation mouse embryos. Nature. 1969 May 24;222(5195):783–784. doi: 10.1038/222783a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Heyner S. Detection of H-2 antigens on the cells of the early mouse embryo. Transplantation. 1973 Dec;16(6):675–678. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Håkansson S., Sundqvist K. G. Decreased antigenicity of mouse blastocysts after activation for implantation from experimental delay. Transplantation. 1975 Jun;19(6):479–484. doi: 10.1097/00007890-197506000-00006. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Jenkinson E. J., Billington W. D. Differential susceptibility of mouse trophoblast and embryonic tissue to immune cell lysis. Transplantation. 1974 Sep;18(3):286–289. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Kirby D. R., Billington W. D., James D. A. Transplantation of eggs to the kidney and uterus of immunised mice. Transplantation. 1966 Nov;4(6):713–718. doi: 10.1097/00007890-196611000-00006. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Olds P. J. An attempt to detect M-2 antigens on mouse eggs. Transplantation. 1968 May;6(3):478–479. doi: 10.1097/00007890-196805000-00020. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Palm J., Heyner S., Brinster R. L. Differential immunofluorescence of fertilized mouse eggs with H-2 and non-H-2 antibody. J Exp Med. 1971 Jun 1;133(6):1282–1293. doi: 10.1084/jem.133.6.1282. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Patthey H., Edidin M. Evidence for the time of appearance of H-2 antigens in mouse development. Transplantation. 1973 Feb;15(2):211–214. doi: 10.1097/00007890-197302000-00004. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. SIMMONS R. L., RUSSELL P. S. The antigenicity of mouse trophoblast. Ann N Y Acad Sci. 1962 Oct 24;99:717–732. doi: 10.1111/j.1749-6632.1962.tb45356.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. Searle R. F., Jenkinson E. J., Johnson M. H. Immunogenicity of mouse trophoblast and embryonic sac. Nature. 1975 Jun 26;255(5511):719–720. doi: 10.1038/255719a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  19. Searle R. F., Johnson M. H., Billington W. D., Elson J., Clutterbuck-Jackson S. Investigation of H-2 and non-H-2 antigens on the mouse blastocyst. Transplantation. 1974 Aug;18(2):136–141. doi: 10.1097/00007890-197408000-00006. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  20. Sellens M. H., Jenkinson E. J. Permeability of the mouse zona pellucida to immunoglobulin. J Reprod Fertil. 1975 Jan;42(1):153–157. doi: 10.1530/jrf.0.0420153. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  21. Vandeputte M., Sobis H. Histocompatibility antigens on mouse blastocysts and ectoplacental cones. Transplantation. 1972 Sep;14(3):331–338. doi: 10.1097/00007890-197209000-00008. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  22. Yoshinaga K., Adams C. E. Delayed implantation in the spayed, progesterone treated adult mouse. J Reprod Fertil. 1966 Dec;12(3):593–595. doi: 10.1530/jrf.0.0120593. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from The Journal of Experimental Medicine are provided here courtesy of The Rockefeller University Press

RESOURCES